Stock-rack.



0. O..APPLE.

STOCK RACK. APPLICATION FILED mus, 191s.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

OLIVER c. APPLE, OFUR-BANA, 0: 10;

STOCK-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Application filed February 15,1913. Serial No. 748,524.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER C. APPLE, citi-.

zen of the United States, residing at Urbana, in the county of Champaignand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStock-Racks, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to appliances .used in the care of domesticanimals, and particularly to veterinary stocks for securely holdinganimals during surgical or other operations.

The device herein described is particularly adapted for holding swinewhile a ring is being secured in the nose of the animal; for holdingcalves during the dehorning operation; for holding sheep whileidentification tags are being applied to their ears or for holding anysuch animals during the performance of any other usual or necessaryoperations. I

The device is further designed for use as a shipping crate for thetransportation of such animals from place to place.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as themeans and mode of operation of such devices, whereby they parts andcombinations thereof, and the mode of operation or their equivalents ashereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of the assembled devicewith the stock or stanchion closed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thedevice with the stock or stanchion open and the rear gate partiallyelevated.

Like parts areindicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe views.

In constructing the device there is employed a rectangular pen 1 ofsufficient size to accommodate the largest animal to be operated upon.This pen is open at its rearward extremity through which opening theanimal enters. Located within the pen or inclosure, adjacent to the openend thereof, is a movable frame 2, capable of asliding movementfin aforward and aft direction. The frame 2 may be mounted to slide in. anysuitable guides or ways in the structure. In the drawing, the frame 2has been shown as provided with bearing blocks 3, which engage betweenthe parallel spaced side bars 4 of the inclosure to support and guidethe frame in its forward and aft movement. Slidingly mounted in verticalguides in the frame2 isa gate 5. The gate 5 is elevated. by hand toadmit the animal to theinclosure and is lowered in the rear of the.animal to prevent its escape;

Pivoted adjacent to the forward end of the inclosure, is alever 6,] Thelever .6 is connected to the sliding frame 2 by any sort of, alin'k orconnection. the connection has been shown as a Y shaped chain 7,attached to the frame 2 at mid height points at each side thereof andengaging a hook 8 upon the lever 6. By oscillating the lever 6, theframe 2 and the gate 5,

carried thereby, are shifted forward, compelling the animal within theinclosure to advance toward the stock or stanchion, lo-

cated at the forward end of the pen. By engaging diiferent links of thechain 7 with the hook 8, the device may be adapted to animals ofdifferent sizes. M I I Secured to the uppermostbarft of the penv is'aguide or keeper 9 for the. lever 6, through which the lever projects.The guide or keeper, is provided with a seriesof teeth or notches 10, tobe engaged byacorresponding tooth carried by the lever 6, to retain thelever 6 and the sliding frame 2 in their adj usted positions.

Located at the forward end of the pen or the inclosure, is the stock orstanchion,with- -].n which the neck of the animal is engaged to secureit during the operation. The stock or stanchion comprises two relativelyadjust able members, each of which carries adjustable yoke pieces. Oneof the stanchion members comprises a door 11, hinged .at 12 to thestructure. The other halfof the stock or stanchion comprises a slidingdoor 13, mounted to reciprocate in suitable guide ways 14. Each of thedoors ll and13 have enlarged recesses 15, formed in their adjacentedges, and registering one with the other.

The recesses 15 extend sufiiciently low inthe doors 11 and 13 toaccommodate the smallest animal, and sufiiciently high to accommodatethe largest animal. These In the drawing,

notches or recesses 15 are of such depth,

'Adjustably secured to the doors 11 and 13 are yoke pieces 16, havingregistering notches or recesses 17 in their adjacent edges. These yokepieces 16 are adjustable to different positions upon the doors 11 and13, whereby the neck opening formed by the registering notches 17 may beadjusted, vertically or laterally within the limit of the opening formedby the registering notches 15 of the doors. The yoke pieces 16 may besecured in their adjusted positions in any suitable manner. A series ofholes may be provided in the doors 11 and 13 in the yoke pieces 16,through which the said parts may be bolted in any of their positions ofadjustment. However in the drawings, the doors have been shown providedwith vertical slots 18, and the yoke pieces with transverse slots 19adapted to intersect the slots 18 of the doors, when the yoke pieces arein the registering portions of the slots'18 and place. Clamping bolts 20project through 19. By releasing the clamping bolts 20, the yoke'piecesmay be adjusted laterally within the limit of the slots 19, orvertically within the limit of the slot 18 or may be adjustedsimultaneously in both slots, thus I 1 providing a universal adjustmentfor the yoke pieces. By this means the opening formed by the registeringrecesses 17 in the yoke pieces, may be adjusted to different heights orby adjusting said yoke pieces to or from each other, the said openingmay be varied in itswidth. It is obvious that the vertical slots. may bein the yoke pieces and the'horizontal slots in the doors. The slidingdoor 13 is reciprocated by the means of an operating. lever 21, pivotedupon a bracket 22. f The lower extremity of the v lever 21 is connectedto the door 13 by a closure.

link 23. A pawl 24: upon the lever 21, en-

gages any one of the series of teeth 25 in the bracket 22 to lock thedoor 13 in its operative position.

In practice, the yoke pieces first having been adjusted to approximatelythe height and, size of the neck of the animal to be operated upon, therear gate 5 is elevated and the animal is induced to enter the in- Thesliding door 13 is partially withdrawn, forming an opening ofcomparatively large size between the door 13 and the door 11. Thetendency of the animal within the inclosure will be to escape therefrom,through such enlarged opening. When the animal has advanced its headthrough such opening with view to escape, the operatingilever 21' isoperated to close the sliding door 13,.causing the neck of the animal tobe caught within the opening formed by the notches or recesses 17 of theyoke pieces .16 with the animals head protruding beyond the doors. Ifthe animal refuses to advance within the inclosure and thrusts its headforward between the yoke pieces, the operating lever 6 is operated, todraw the sliding frame 2 and gate 5 forward, thus crowding the animalforward within the inclosure, until its neck is in position to beengaged by the yoke upon the closing movement of the door 13. When theoperation has been completed and it is desired to release the animal,the sliding door 13 is withdrawn and the hinged door 11 is swung open asshown in Fig. 2, whereupon the animal escapes from the forward end ofthe inclosure. Any suitable latch or fastening may be employed to securethe door 11 in closed position.

For transportation, the animal may be confined in the pen or inclosurewhich in such event, is used merely as a crate, the stock or stanchionnot being employed.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described, possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detailconstruction or arrangement of parts, without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

vVhile in order to comply with the statute, the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to certain structuralfeatures, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited toany specific details, but that the means and construction hereindescribed comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect,and the invention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possibleforms or modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim;

1. In a stock rack, an inclosure, two relatively movable doors therefor,yoke pieces carried by the doors adapted to engage the neck of theanimal, said yoke pieces being adjustable to different positions uponthe door, to accommodate animals of different sizes, substantially asspecified.

2. In a stock rack, an inclosure, a sliding door therefor, a yokedivided into separable pieces, one of the yoke pieces being adjustablysecured to the sliding door, the other yoke piece being adjustablysecured to that portion of the structure upon which the door abuts whenclosed, whereby when the sliding door is closed, the yoke pieces willregister, one with the other, substantially as specified.

3. In a stock rack, an inclosure, a stanchion located at one endthereof, comprising a movable member and a normally stationary member,and a divided yoke, the portions of which are adjustably secured to said7 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set movable and normallystationafly 1llnemlflers my hand this 29th day of January, 1913. inositions to re ister one Wit t e 0t er, l 1 Whgn the stanchi n isclosed, said divided OL APPLE 5 yoke members, being adjustable upontheir Witnesses: supporting members, substantially as speci- J. P.NORTHCUTI. fied. y MABLE MODENA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five eents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. l l

